Storm Eunice: SSEN enhances welfare offering for customers as its teams battle to restore power

Sunday was a challenging and hazardous day with sustained high winds, particularly across the coast. This has led to new faults, access issues due to fallen trees and multiple points of damage on our overhead lines, which has extended repair times.

SSEN's teams are making every possible effort to restore further supplies this evening, but based on the expected impact of Storm Franklin, which moved through the region overnight, SSEN have unfortunately had to adjust some restoration times for customers.

Despite this, SSEN have continued to make good progress. As of 6pm yesterday [Sunday] evening, SSEN has restored power to over 172,000 homes (95 per cent of total affected) leaving around 9,650 homes without power.

Parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Surrey, Oxfordshire and West Sussex are most affected, with further localised faults across SSEN's operating region.

Recognising the ongoing impact, SSEN have offered enhanced welfare for customers who will remain without power beyond the weekend. This includes reimbursement of accommodation costs where customers cannot make alternative arrangements themselves.

Richard Gough, director of distribution system operations, said: "The hurricane-force winds of Storm Eunice have resulted in some of the most extreme and challenging conditions experienced in the south of England for decades, with significant impact on our overhead line network.

"I would like to apologise to our customers for the continued disruption as our teams work around the clock to restore power.

"I’d also like to recognise our teams in the field and in our control and customer centres, who are doing a brilliant job in very difficult conditions and stand ready to respond to the impact of Storm Franklin, while prioritising restoring customers who have been without power longest.

"We fully appreciate the issues being faced by customers who have been without power since the start of Storm Eunice and as our teams work hard to reconnect the remaining homes, we are actively encouraging all customers who we expect to remain off supply for an extended period to take advantage of our enhanced welfare offer."

Enhanced welfare

Accommodation support - SSEN has encouraged customers concerned about an extended power cut to make alternative arrangements to stay with family or friends but recognise this may not be an option for all.

Where this is the case and a customer has been without power since Friday and their Estimated Time of Restoration is later than Sunday evening, SSEN are offering to reimburse all reasonable costs for arranging alternative accommodation.

Meals - SSEN are placing welfare vans in communities most affected by Storm Eunice offering free hot food and drink. These mobile units will move from location to location as power is restored and current locations are being regularly communicated via SSEN's website, social media and by local radio.

Similarly, for these customers who have been without power since Friday, if you do not live in proximity to these vans or need to remain in your home due to circumstances such as mobility or Covid-19, SSEN are offering to reimburse reasonable costs for an evening meal or takeaway, up to the value of £15 per person and up to a maximum of £60 per household.

Reimbursement – eligible customers should book the accommodation and meals directly and retain all receipts which should then be sent to SSEN for reimbursement via the following link - https://tinyurl.com/EuniceClaim. All claims will be processed for reimbursement promptly once full restoration has taken place.

SSEN asks any customer in a vulnerable situation who may find it difficult to organise this for themselves to contact tem so that we can look to support them on a case by case basis.

Compensation for loss of power

Separate to the enhanced welfare offering above, SSEN recognises that customers may have questions regarding compensation, which is governed by Guaranteed Standards of Service set by our regulator, Ofgem.

Customers will be eligible for compensation under Guaranteed Standards if they have been without power for over 48hrs, where they will be eligible for a payment of £70. A further £70 will be due for each additional period of 12 hours in which supply is not restored, up to a cap of £700.

Customers do not need to contact SSEN to receive this compensation. SSEN will automatically issue this by cheque to the address that was impacted by the storms based on the data we hold. SSEN will send a letter to addresses where this information is incomplete.